Giada De Laurentiis Interview

Giada De Laurentiis Just Opened The Hottest New Restaurant In Vegas

DM: The thing that’s unique about this is people usually open their first restaurants in New York or LA — why Vegas?

GDL: I’ve never done anything the way everybody else has done. Most people that had shows when I started about fourteen years ago on television, either had restaurants or cookbooks or something in that space. I had none. I was a private chef. That’s all I was in LA — that’s it.

I was given an opportunity and I took it thinking, "If this doesn’t work, it’s fine. I can just go back to catering. I make a very nice living catering and as a private chef." But I was successful.

Because most of the career moves I’ve made have been different from everyone else in my genre, I think it’s more fun, quite frankly. And, yes, all of my chef friends who have restaurants here told me I was crazy, that this was the nuttiest thing. I didn’t need it and I didn’t need to be doing it, but to be completely honest, how many female-brand chef restaurants are there on the Strip? Do you know?

GDL: Yes, that’s it. It's time — it’s time that we become a majority. This is a new concept in the hotel as well. This is a boutique hotel with 188 rooms, which is something you can’t find anywhere else on the Strip in Vegas. They’re so many new things and so many firsts that I felt like this is an opportunity to really make a difference in a town where you put entertainment and food together. Some of the things I’ve done here I wouldn’t be able to do anywhere else in the country.

DM: Do you feel like there’s a welcoming atmosphere amongst the other Caesar’s chefs or do you feel that there’s something to prove being a woman?

GDL: I don’t know everyone but I know many of them. I will tell you that someone who has been extremely supportive in this process, and I mean extremely, much more than I ever could have imagined, was Bobby Flay.

From the very beginning he helped me with my deal. He had his lawyer talk to my lawyer to make sure the points were right, that I was getting a fair deal like all the boys get. He walked me through every step of this. I just talked to him last night. He calls me constantly asking, “How’s it going?” I ask him questions about staff. I just asked him today, “Do your waiters pool the money or not?” Because we’re trying to decide how to figure that out. I’m asking all the questions, from the very basics to the esoteric to the philosophical.

Also Mario Batali has been supportive; the two people that helped me a lot are Bobby and Mario. So, I think that it’s ready: The boys club is ready to let somebody new in. I think they’re willing to be there, help and support which is really a nice thing. I have to say it’s a very tight-knit community around here and they don’t just let anyone in.

DM: As for the food, I’ve just tried some of your antipasto so far and the eggplant rollatini is out of control. You send out this seasoning board and while it adds fun twist to the chicken marsala meatballs, you don’t even need it! Why offer that?

GDL: I like my food a certain way. I have always said that part of the fun of my food is that people can put their own spin on it. The way to put your own spin on it is for me to give you a little spice tray that you can decide what you want to do. You want a little bit of brininess? Put the fried capers on top. You want a little extra salt? We’ve got some really great salt for you. You want it spicy? My husband likes spicier food than I do. He always likes to add a little red pepper flakes on top of food. I don’t.

I want people to make it their own so that they can truly get the full experience. I’m going to give it to you the way I like it, but if you want to tweak it a little bit? I’m giving you the tools. It empowers people and that’s what I want to do.

DM: You’re known for the phonetic expressions on your show, but what’s with the phonetic spelling on the menu?

GDL: It’s only in the pastas. I have become known for the way I pronounce certain pastas like spaghetti and rigatoni and bucatini and so I thought it would be fun to phonetically spell them there so that people also feel like they’re not just coming here to be entertained and have some great food, but they’re actually learning a nugget and that is how to properly say a word, an Italian ingredient, so that the next time they go to an Italian restaurant, they feel empowered to say it in the proper way in Italian and they feel smarter!

That’s part of the Giada experience. It’s not just great food and entertainment, but it’s little nuggets. I’m not banging you over the head with it, but if you want some fun facts, you’ve got them.

GDL: This is a very sexy space. I’ve tweaked the lighting so everybody looks just right. I have made the colors feel soft almost and sensual. I’ve always said from the beginning I want to create a space that feels homey, but something that feels really sexy when you walk in: Rounded corners, lots of round-shapes everywhere rather than jagged edges, lots of soft pillows that make you feel cozy and warm and soothing and sexy inside, chairs that swivel so it’s easy to get in and out (so a woman always feels as elegant as possible). I’ve put those little touches to really enhance the way you feel and look.